The Tree Climber & The Hunter
by TheRealHinata1996
Summary: CRACK-SHIP! Rue and Katniss won the Hunger Games and are now on there Victory Tour in District 12. There Rue meets a handsome boy. 2 people who you thought could never be. RUE/GALE. Please give it a try!


"Hey Katniss congrats!"

"Congrats Katniss!"

"Yeah go District 12!"

Rue and Katniss couldn't walk the streets without someone saying to Katniss about her victory in the Hunger Games. It had been a while since District 12 has had a Victor so Rue completely understood and actually found it sweet, especially when the little starving kids would run up to Katniss with a loaf of bread in their hand, frosting all over their face and hug her, thanking her for all the food and how happy they were she survived.

When they had visited District 11, they weren't allowed to celebrate like this, they all still had to work in the fields. But they were allowed one night off for the Victory tour and they had never partied any harder than on that night. Tradional dances of District 11 were danced around the ever growing fire that was in the middle of all the chaos. Foods from all over, pork squares, vinegar chips, rich salads, ripe grapes, wines exported from other countries. They were even to smuggle some fireworks, shooting them off into the dark black skies, the colorful sparks illuminating everything, the sound almost deafening but nobody could hear it over the screaming fans.

The party was the only good thing about winning the Hunger Games because the rest was just a tragedy. Knowing you survived- great news!

Visiting all the places of the kids you had to kill then mentoring kids to die next year- down fall.

Katniss's smile faded as they approached the Mellark Bakery. Her mouth opened to say something but the words were stuck. Rue understood and patted her shoulder.

"Go. Take all the time, I'll be right here," she said in an understanding voice, edging Katniss to go. Katniss gave a small smile before running over to the Bakery to comfort the grieving family, or should I say the grieving father.

Rue just turned around and began walking around the hob, exploring all the little stores District 12 had managed to squeeze into such a small space. Her graceful fingers ran over all the little porcelain trinkets, soon sorting through all the hand me down clothes and putting them to her, imagining dressing up in some of these crazy clothes. She packed up so she could see the mirror to see how she would look in a black pirate's hat, but that's when she bumped into someone.

"Oh I'm sorry," she said, turning around immediately to see who she hit. He was around 6'foot while she was 5'4 so he hadn't see who it was and went off on her.

"Yeah you bet- oh you're the Victor from District 11? Sorry…" the boy said.

Rue just pouted, "Yeah you better be," She joked. "It's fine," she smiled at him, noticing he was a tall, handsome man with cloudy grey eyes, just like Katniss. He was olive skin colored with dark brown hair. He was lean, strong, toned arms, probably abs hidden under his long grey shirt. Thinking about it, he's more than handsome. He's gorgeous! But Rue couldn't think about boys now, she turned back around and began playing with her hat, adjusting it on her head.

"That looks really good on you," he says, eyeing her in the mirror.

"Oh yeah?" Rue says. But before she could say anything else, she heard in the background Katniss calling for her. The boy couldn't hear it but Rue could, and she could even hear the worry in Katniss's voice.

"I think It looks better on you," Rue smiles as she takes off the hat and gets up on her tippy toes, placing the hat gently on top of his head before running out of the store to go back to Katniss.

She saw her calling for her right outside the Mellark Bakery. Rue ran over there, her long toned legs getting her to Katniss's side quickly. She saw Katniss's eyes red and blotchy and without saying another word she hugged her.

* * *

Later that day, Rue and Katniss walked on the outskirts of the forests, talking about all the things they had gone through, listing there favorite foods from the Capitol.

"Oh no you have to try there chocolate marshmellows with strawberry juice. It's amazing!" Rue said, her mouth almost watering as her hands flew all around, showing off her excitement. Katniss only laughed and wrapped her arm around Rue. Even though they were the same age, Rue was a couple inches small and a lot thinner, having no meat on her bones, Katniss always took to her as a little girl, wanting, no needing someone to watch out for, to take care of. The Capitol had even token to her as a little girl, she never killed anybody in the Games, all she did was run and hide, climb trees. And her personality, she was carefree and scared, not really determined to go home, truly thinking she would die in the Games. That's when Katniss developed a soft spot for her. But it wasn't until the Games when Rue helped clean her tracker jacker stings that they started their alliance.

"Oh yeah I have a friend I want you to meet," Katniss said as she stopped walking, hearing a bush rustle beside her.

"You couldn't meet us at the hob Gale?" Katniss laughed as a tall boy climbed out of the bush, a cocky smile on his handsome face. He only laughed with her, putting the squirrel in his bag.

"Had to make an entrance," he said, his eyes sparkling as him and Katniss stared at each other for a few more seconds before he turned to Rue.

That's when Rue fully saw him and noticed it was the guy from earlier.

"Oh shoot, Rue I forgot my bag at home. I'll be back, you two don't go too far," Katniss said before she began running back in the direction of her house in Victor Village.

Gale just stared at Rue for a little.

"Rue. That's your name. cute," Gale said.

"Yeah that's my name, don't wear it out," Rue laughed, beginning to walk again. Gale walked up to her side.

"So how did you meet Katniss? In the Games?"

"Great question Einstein." She joked but then grew sad thinking about the Games. "But yeah… I think I remind her of her little sister, that's why we hit it off,"

"Little bit. You are small and weak," Gale commented.

"But I put up a good fight," Rue stated, a smile starting to spread on her face.

Gale liked the sound of that challenge. "Oh yeah, prove it,"

"Hit me,"

Gale heisted a second but then swung. She easily ducked it and jumped onto his back. She leaned down and whispered in his ear. "My talent is climbing,"

"And I'm like a tree?" Gale laughed.

"A handsome tree," Rue corrected before joining in on his laughter.

And that's when they heard Katniss running back, a little out of breath. But she looked at them, fixing the bag around her shoulder.

"What I miss?"

Gale and Rue laughed even harder.

* * *

*So long time ago when i use to this account, a friend of mine asked to write a Gale/Rue. It's been a long time but here it is! I know it's an odd couple. But i changed her age, made her a little older so its not creepy. lol Hope you guys like it! Hunger Games belongs to Suzanne Collins.


End file.
